Military moms 'proud' of breast-feeding in uniform, despite criticism

[Crow]

Is breast-feeding while in uniform conduct unbecoming to a military mom?

The debate over nursing in public got a new layer recently, when photos taken on an Air Force base began to circulate online. In the series of tasteful professional photos showing beaming moms as they nurse their kids, one jumps out: the photo of two servicewomen with their uniform shirts unbuttoned and hiked up to breast-feed.

"A lot of people are saying it's a disgrace to the uniform. They're comparing it to urinating and defecating [while in uniform]," says Crystal Scott, a military spouse who started Mom2Mom in January as a breast-feeding support group for military moms and "anyone related to the base" at Fairchild AFB outside Spokane, Wash. "It's extremely upsetting. Defecating in public is illegal. Breast-feeding is not."

It was Scott's idea to ask photographer Brynja Sigurdardottir [from Iceland ] to take photos of real-life breast-feeding moms to create posters for National Breastfeeding Awareness Month in August. One of the moms photographed in uniform, Terran Echegoyen-McCabe, breast-feeds her 10-month-old twin girls on her lunch breaks during drill weekends as a member of the Air National Guard.

"I have breast-fed in our lobby, in my car, in the park ... and I pump, usually in the locker room," she says. "I'm proud to be wearing a uniform while breast-feeding. I'm proud of the photo and I hope it encourages other women to know they can breast-feed whether they're active duty, guard or civilian."

She said she's surprised by the reaction to the photos, which also feature her friend Christina Luna, because it never occurred to her that breast-feeding in uniform would cause such a stir.

"There isn't a policy saying we can or cannot breast-feed in uniform," Echegoyen-McCabe says. "I think it's something that every military mom who is breast-feeding has done. ... I think we do need to be able to breast-feed in uniform and be protected."

The Air Force has no policy specifically addressing breast-feeding in uniform, according to Air Force spokesperson Captain Rose Richeson, who added, "Airmen should be mindful of their dress and appearance and present a professional image at all times while in uniform."

Article continued at: http://moms.today.msnbc.msn.com/_new...criticism?lite

-- MSN has a web poll asking the question "Should military moms breast-feed in uniform, in public?". So far, 69% of respondents say 'Yes'.

I'd like to gauge the audience here and ask the same question... Yea or Nay? Like my previous poll, all votes are private (your name will NOT be displayed).

[Premium Parrots]

I'm all for breast-feeding. However, I would prefer that they simply take their shirts off first. Who would complain then? Only some women, that who. That would certainly change many poll results to the extreme positive.


Of course, posting a poll like this on a mostly male forum you are likely to get mostly positive results anyway.

[Crow]

Of course, posting a poll like this on a mostly male forum you are likely to get mostly positive results anyway.

You're probably right... I get the feeling that the poll will be locked in at 100%

[voodooman]

think i'm on to something here...

best recruitment campaign ever?

[GoVegan]

Support our troops!

[sgreger1]

Honestly, no, not while in uniform. Same reason I can't take a piss in a bush while in uniform despite it being an inherently male thing to do. When the uniform is on, you are "in character" as the playwrights would put it.
I dunno, I don't see anything actually wrong with it, it's just more of a move towards a softer army IMO. I don't really care either way though.

[GoVegan]

Honestly, no, not while in uniform. Same reason I can't take a piss in a bush while in uniform despite it being an inherently male thing to do. When the uniform is on, you are "in character" as the playwrights would put it.
I dunno, I don't see anything actually wrong with it, it's just more of a move towards a softer army IMO. I don't really care either way though.

Yeah right! OK now, which one would you pick? The one of the left or the one on the right?

[sgreger1]

think i'm on to something here...

best recruitment campaign ever?

ftfy.

[sgreger1]

Yeah right! OK now, which one would you pick? The one of the left or the one on the right?

I just realized that these girls are in the air force, not the army. The airforce is all soft anyways, breastfeeding seems like a natural choice, just like it is the natural choice to choose the one on the right.

[Thunder_Snus]

There is a difference between doing something that someone doesnt like (marrying gays despite religious people crying foul) and doing something to just piss someone off. I"m not sure what the situation is with this, but im sure there are atleast a few women who are begging to tell someone "yeah i breastefeed in public im a strong empowered woman"

[GoVegan]

Yeah and so far it looks like sgreger is the only one amongst us who is offended when he sees a breast in public. That is your no vote up there isn't it sgreger?

[Crow]

Honestly, no, not while in uniform. Same reason I can't take a piss in a bush while in uniform despite it being an inherently male thing to do.

I can't wrap my head around that one... How do you equate breast-feeding to taking a piss (or shit)?

I just realized that these girls are in the air force, not the army. The airforce is all soft anyways, breastfeeding seems like a natural choice, just like it is the natural choice to choose the one on the right.

Ahh, good ol' fashioned military rivalry... Just like how the Marine Corps is tougher than those weak sauce Army pansies.

;^)

[sgreger1]

Ahh, good ol' fashioned military rivalry... Just like how the Marine Corps is tougher than those weak sauce Army pansies.

;^)

Nah no rivalry. I cross trained with the marines many times and I would say both forces are about on par nowadays. Air force is, completely not being a partisan dick here, way more lax than the rest of the military, navy included. Really, they have it so easy it's almost not even the military. Really the air force is more of a civilian job compared with literally every other department in the military. I was a paratrooper and we had an airforce base attached to our base at Ft. Bragg since we needed their planes so we could jump out of them. I spent a lot of time with the air force. They are civilian contractors at best, any smart person would join the air force nowadays instead of any other branch. It's just too easy and it pays too well. Promotion is slow though.

[sgreger1]

Yeah and so far it looks like sgreger is the only one amongst us who is offended when he sees a breast in public. That is your no vote up there isn't it sgreger?

It is, and it's more because I'm a dick than because I honestly have any issue with it. Again, I can't find any real reason for not being in favor of it. I am all for breastfeeding in public. It's hard to explain, it just seems like something you wouldn't do in uniform.

[Crow]

Nah no rivalry. I cross trained with the marines many times and I would say both forces are about on par nowadays. Air force is, completely not being a partisan dick here, way more lax than the rest of the military, navy included. Really, they have it so easy it's almost not even the military. Really the air force is more of a civilian job compared with literally every other department in the military. I was a paratrooper and we had an airforce base attached to our base at Ft. Bragg since we needed their planes so we could jump out of them. I spent a lot of time with the air force. They are civilian contractors at best, any smart person would join the air force nowadays instead of any other branch. It's just too easy and it pays too well. Promotion is slow though.

I'm just messing with you, bro. I honestly have no idea which branch is "tougher", I knew a couple of Marines that loved to talk shit about the Army (and Navy).